— cash-strapped Council doles out ‘out –of- pocket’ money for mayor’s team

AT a time when the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) is struggling to pay its workers and garbage contractors, the extraordinary statutory meeting on Tuesday heard how US$25 of Council’s money was paid per day to each of the five members who travelled overseas, earlier in November.

Mayor Patricia Chase-Green said she received an invitation to go to China and that it was her decision to choose who she wanted to accompany her on the trip, which lasted for a little over a week.

Those accompanying the mayor were Town Clerk, Royston King; Chairman of the Finance Committee, Oscar Clarke; City Engineer, Colvern Venture; and Councillor, Carolyn Caesar-Murray.

“I got an invitation from the mayor of the City of Fiji and I accepted it. On October 16, 2017, I said myself and team was going. I make that decision (of who to choose), not the Council,” Chase-Green stated on Tuesday.

She said the team also went to a commonwealth local government conference in Malta.

“There’s nothing that I do that is not brought to this Council,” Chase-Green expressed, while noting that a per diem was not paid to the team. She clarified that an ‘out-of-pocket’ was given to those travelling in the sum of US$25 per day.

Councillor Welton Clarke offered that more publicity ought to be given to these trips as they are approaching, as opposed to a mere announcement by the mayor that she received an invitation and intends to go.

Although Chase-Green would have asked Deputy Mayor Lionel Jaikarran to conduct the most recent statutory meeting, she did not inform him of the specifics of the team’s trip.

All she would say is that she would be out of the jurisdiction. Notwithstanding, Chase-Green took umbrage at Jaikarran’s telling the media that he did not know where she was.

BAD REFLECTION
Alliance For Change (AFC) Councillor Sherod Duncan told the Guyana Chronicle on the sidelines of Tuesday’s meeting that specific details should be given by the mayor for the sake of professionalism.

“It reflects badly on us because even though it was a free trip, our officers still received out-of- pocket which is paid by Council and at a time we are cash- strapped. You are at a critical time in the City. We are trying to sort out our garbage issues with the two major contractors. They have workers who haven’t been paid since October. And then for the leadership to just have gone overseas. I’m certain it was not necessarily to bring in any funds to pay those workers,” Duncan expressed.

He noted that while twinning of cities is a good initiative, the municipality has not benefited in any substantial way.

“Why couldn’t we defer this trip to another month where we are on better footing with our councillors and staff? It was bad to be seen spending any money that was unnecessary at this time where we are broke in paying our contractors and our staff,” Duncan said in relation to the ‘out of pocket’ money that was paid to the team.

People’s Progressive Party Councillor, Bishram Kuppen, told this publication that he found it totally unacceptable for this team to be travelling abroad at a time when the City is experiencing financial difficulties.

“They could have easily postponed that trip or elect for other people to attend. We did not give approval for the others to go anywhere, so I don’t know where that authority came from. They should not have left at a time when we have so many financial difficulties; garbage piling up all over the place; employees protesting for the past two days. It was totally inappropriate for them to leave.”